Towering Escape fits rain or shine

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Richard Schosberg believes the seven furlongs of Wednesday's second-level allowance race for New York-bred fillies is just right for his 3-year-old filly Towering Escape. Therefore, he is not concerned about what surface the race is run on.

Scheduled for Belmont Park's Widener Turf Course, Wednesday's nominal feature could be transferred to the main track should the weather forecast prove correct. Rain is predicted for Tuesday into Wednesday morning, putting all three of Wednesday's scheduled grass races in jeopardy of being switched to the main track.

Wednesday's card, which kicks off the final week of racing at Belmont, includes a pick six carryover of $53,724 after the wager went unhit on Sunday.

On paper, Towering Escape looks better-suited to the dirt than the turf, having recorded both of her wins on dirt, including a 21 3/4-length romp in the mud here July 22. However, her turf races aren't bad if one delves a little deeper into them.

As a 2-year-old, Towering Escape debuted against J'Ray and finished third to that rival. J'Ray won three consecutive stakes in open company after that race. In June, Towering Escape was beaten one-half length while finishing fourth in an allowance race that race produced several next-out winners. Most recently, Towering Escape finished sixth, beaten just four lengths by the talented Rewrite, in the Irish Actress Stakes over this course. That race was run at 1 1/16 miles.

"A mile and sixteenth is just plain too far for her," Schosberg said.

Schosberg noted that Towering Escape is out of a mare, Rapunzell, who is a half-sister to Affirmed Success, Schosberg's multi-surface stakes winner. Schosberg likened Towering Escape to Affirmed Success in that both relished off tracks and both could handle the turf up to a mile.

"I have no problem running on either surface," Schosberg said. "Seven-eighths is the perfect distance either way. We're in good shape if it stays on, and certainly if it comes off we're in really, really good shape."

Schosberg will reunite Towering Escape with Edgar Prado, who was aboard for her most recent win. Towering Escape breaks from post 5.

If the race stays on turf, Stag Dancer is a major player considering she has won three consecutive races on the grass. However, all were at distances longer than this. Keen Lassie, a first-level statebred allowance winner two back, is also dangerous on the turf. On dirt, Christina's Melody and Shoot the Bugler could be Towering Escape's chief rivals.